George Nissen 1914-2010
Everyone involved in the sport of Gymnastics has to give thanks to George Nissen for his wonderful invention, the Trampoline. And to see him press a handstand at an awards ceremony in his 80’s was truely inspiring.
We’ll miss you George.
Nissen got his inspiration for the trampoline when watching trapeze artists at a circus rebound on the safety net. He was a member of his high school’s tumbling team and learned to dive at the local YMCA. Nissen thought adapting the safety net concept could be helpful in his training.
During college, Nissen and his coach Larry Griswold developed the prototype for the modern trampoline in 1934. The initial trampoline was heavy, and Nissen recognized the need to modify the design to make it lighter and more portable. He competed for the University of Iowa and won three collegiate titles before graduating in 1937 with a business degree.